WALLACE STATE CELEBRATES COMMENCEMENT 2015

HANCEVILLE, Ala.—Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and President Vicki Karolewics conferred degrees upon the graduating class of 2015 during Wallace State’s commencement ceremony at Tom Drake Coliseum Friday. Approximately 500 students participated in the ceremony while hundreds more earned degrees or certificates this semester.
“It is your America. This is your Alabama. As a college graduate, I challenge you to think about your country, your community,” Dr. Karolewics said to the class in her remarks.  “You were led here to Wallace State to fulfill a purpose.  You have a purpose for which you were created and each of you is destined for greatness.”
“We are individually and collectively responsible for the human condition, and it is within your power to change the conditions that negatively affect our America.” she said.
Wallace State has educated hundreds of thousands of students since opening its doors in 1966, and tens of thousands have had degrees conferred. The college produces more graduates than any other institution in the Alabama Community College System and is known for its reputation of excellence as one of the most outstanding community colleges in the nation.
As has become her tradition, Karolewics shared the stories of several students who represent the richness of the community college mission and the student experience at Wallace State.
Kimberly and Jeremy Lesley
Kim and Jeremy are a dynamic husband and wife duo who have made a positive impression on many people at Wallace State. Kim first started college 16 years ago but was in an abusive marriage and withdrew from higher education when she was 19 and pregnant. She went on to break the cycle of abuse and rebuild her life. A former Mrs. Alabama, she now advocates for women and works with girls to help them build self-confidence. One of her instructors said that the younger students in the class like her so much they refer to her as Ms. America in the most complementary way.  Kim, a pre-law major, now plans to take advocating against domestic violence to the next level with her goal of becoming an attorney.  Her husband, Jeremy, is a minister and radio host with a larger than life personality, who is pursuing a career in social work. He is a Domestic Violence Intervention Liaison who has helped over five dozen women and their children relocate from violent homes, into safe homes. Together they have seven children in their beautiful blended family. They light up the room with charm and charisma, and their dedication to education is contagious. Both Kim and Jeremy have earned scholarships to continue their studies at UAB.
Karen Downs and Kayli Downs
Kayli is proud of her mother, Karen. Karen wanted to go to college right out of high school but couldn’t afford to. When she married at 19, she thought she would never go to college. One night as Karen was helping Kayli with English homework it dawned on her that if she could help with college homework, she could go to college, too. And with the encouragement of her daughter, she did, starting in the spring of 2012. Karen has been an exemplary student at the top of her class even while working 30-35 hours per week, volunteering for her church, as well as providing end-of-life care for her step-mom in Tuscaloosa and looking after a mentally-challenged brother who went missing from his group home in Birmingham for two weeks one semester before being found, and having surgery herself.  Kayli says, “My mom is awesome!”  Karen is graduating tonight with an AAS in Business Administration. KKayli is graduating tonight with an associate in general studies. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy.  Kayli was diagnosed with epilepsy her senior year of high school and suffers from terrible migranes. Before this, most people didn’t know that because she didn’t want to be treated differently. But as she was learning to control her disease, she persevered through college on days when she was so sick she could barely stand.  At least one day she crawled underneath a desk in an empty office in admissions to keep from throwing up, but she didn’t stay there, no, she rested for a few minutes then got up still sick and went to class. And she was always there for her mom as health and family issues intervened. Kayli is a great example of a strong young woman willing to work hard to achieve her dream. Kayli plans to earn her doctorate in child psychology one day and we believe she will. Karen says, “Kayli will always be one of my heroes.”
Lady Lions Softball Sophomores
Mackenzie Hill, Amanda Medders, Rachel Ragland, Brooke Kinsey, Andrea McKenzie, Courtney Walker, Katlyn Whitehead, Sarah Jordan — these all-star student-athletes carry on the tradition of Wallace State championship softball. This team, ranked No. 3 in the nation, has just captured Wallace State’s ninth conference title. And they did it with grit, winning in extra innings of the conference tournament. They believe in themselves, they believe in their team, they believe in making their own destiny, and they never, never give up. What’s more, our softball team demonstrates the same discipline and determination in the classroom, always setting high standards for academic achievement and perennially rewarded with a ranking among the best academic teams in the nation. They’ll be competing for a third softball national championship next week in St. George, Utah.
Shirish Patel
Shirish came from India to study at Wallace State, as far as any student has come, and his proud parents and family have joined him here tonight, making the journey themselves from India to see him graduate from our respiratory therapy program. It takes courage to come half way around the world to study. But fear fades in the face of passion, and Shirish has a passion for service to others through health care.  Shirish’s instructors say he’s an exemplary student. He graduates from a program with a 94 percent job placement rate and he plans to use this experience to continue his studies with the goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.
Fast Track Academy and Early College Graduates
Tonight, we celebrate a group of highly motivated high school students who are graduating from college and high school concurrently.  These students’ course work thus far has put them as much as two years ahead of their peers and as a group they have already been have been awarded more than $268,000 in scholarships and counting. Students as motivated as these – whether they go on from here to pursue higher education or start chosen careers – will do well.  They are ready for college, ready for work, ready for life.
Amy Reynolds
The path to Amy’s decision to become a nurse began when her husband, Rob, was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 2008.  Amy had always been terrified of cancer and became even more scared as she began researching her husband’s condition online.  From the beginning of his chemo treatment, however, she realized how precious the nurses at the clinic were—and it was her husband’s illness and those nurses who inspired her to become a nurse today. Rob is now cancer free and Amy is ready to give back to other scared, confused and even angry patients and their families by being that nurse who provides treatment, education, support or sometimes just a hug or a hand to hold.
Jesse Phillips
Jesse was born in Germany to a military family, and as a result moved around a lot.  Growing up, he resisted the idea of joining the military because he wanted to distinguish himself as an individual within the family.  But after graduating from Cleveland High School in 2007, and some soul searching, he knew the military was where he wanted to be.  He wanted to serve his country and give something back before attending college. When he showed up at the Army recruiting office to enlist, his mother, the recruiter, was so surprised that she thought he was joking.  Jesse went on to serve 5 years as a member of the Military Police and got his wish to defend his country abroad by serving a year in Iraq with the 139^th MP Company at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Normandy in northeastern Iraq near the Iranian border.  In Iraq, he was part of a mounted task force responsible for meeting with key leaders in the Iraqi military police and training their personnel to become independent enough to police and govern their own people, as well as performing response and recovery for insurgent attacks. It was in the military that he met his wife, also an MP.  After their service had ended, they moved back to Blount County to begin a family and start college. Jesse graduates tonight from our machining program as the 1st place state SkillsUSA CNC Turning winner, and will be headed to Louisville, Ky. for the national competition with six other Wallace State winners from various programs next month. Jesse’s wife, Sabrina, also a Wallace State student and their two sons were at the ceremony along with his mother, Sgt. First Class Tammy Brumback, who will retire from the military at the end of the year with more than 20 years of service.
Dr. Karolewics also recognized the Performing Arts graduates who performed during the ceremony and many of whom have already received music and theater scholarships to continue their education.
Special presentations were made to Barbara Dover, a business major, for the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence; to Rebecca Long for the Presidential Award for Technical Excellence; and to Occupational Therapy student Jordan Davis for the Presidential Award for Health Excellence. These awards go to students of superior achievement in each area and are the highest honors presented at graduation.
Dr. Tomesa Smith, Executive Vice President, gave special recognition to students who were wearing medals and pins received during the college’s Honors Night for program excellence, leadership, and service, as well as recognizing those chosen for Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges, members of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Sigma Kappa Delta English honorary society, Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honorary society, and honor graduates with GPAs of at least 3.5 or higher. She also recognized Veterans in the student body and in the audience.
Student Government Association president Gavin Hutson provided the invocation, and SGA Vice President Zebediah Dahlke gave the benediction.
Music was provided by the Wallace State Concert Choir and Symphonic Band.  Brad Steele, a choral student, sang a special rendition of “America.” Tiffany Stone Richter, director of the Wallace State choirs, performed a song she wrote, “Very Best Part.”
The Wallace State Coliseum seats approximately 6,000 and was filled to near capacity for the event.
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Kristen Holmes
Director, WSCC Communications & Marketing,
and Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW, PO Box 2000
Hanceville, AL  35077
256.352.8118 w  256.339.2519 c
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu